Anthony Albanese has defended his decision to sign off on a $100,000 trip to New York City for Anika Wells and two others to spruik Australia’s social media ban to global leaders at the UN general assembly.

The minister’s travel entitlements have come under intense scrutiny in the past week with the Nine newspapers reporting on Sunday that Wells’ family went on a skiing trip to Thredbo in June using taxpayer-funded family reunion entitlements while the minister was there for an official event.

Wells defended this and her New York trip on Sunday as Albanese faced questions.

He said the communications minister’s short visit on the sidelines of the UN was helpful in getting other countries “in our corner” against powerful and influential tech companies.

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